A new conversion

Came across this on a website for an antiques centre in Oxfordshire, a Kodak Brownie cine camera converted to a lamp; what is it about cameras and projectors that make people want to convert them to table lamps?.

Anything retro now finishes up being "Upcycled" in a manner such as this.Other examples include vinyl records being molded into fruit bowls etc etc.

It is a shame of course to see such adaptation as this, but for our super green new wave generation of youngsters, they see it as art deco unfortunately.Too much time spent in front of an eisle instead of a science lab.

Wouldn't it look so much better without a cage and light bulb stuck on top of it and instead, inside someones display cabinet who is an enthusiastic HC Buff?

One of the worse cases of "upcycling" I have ever come across, is a guy who believes two 12" vinyl records bolted to a plastic centre looks great or is practical alternative for a Super 8mm 1200ft cine spool!

Another is to cut up perfectly good lengths of 35mm film to form a "cool" looking lamp for somebody's luxury swanky Chelsea 1 bedroom apartment, probably fitted to this very lamp shade!

I've seen the images of 35mm film made into a lampshade, and some of the prints destroyed were quite desirable if you were a 35mm collector. The worst case I came across was a man on Preloved who contacted me over two films I was trying to sell. He didn't seem to know a lot, and was asking questions about the size of reels rather than the films, so I described the films to him, and he replied that he wasn't interested in the films, only the reels. The films would be binned and the empty reel turned into a wall clock, which he then sells. He also boasted about taking the workings out of projectors and turning them into table lamps. I looked at his listings, and he was destroying Specto 9.5mm projectors. I didn't sell him any films, even if I no longer want them, I hope they would go to a good home. I don't understand the mentality of people who see nothing wrong in destroying an item 60 years or more old.

Well played Robert, you were absolutely correct not to sell an item of your collection knowing what it's eventual outcome would be.

I think under those circumstances, the first thing I'd be enquiring about to a similar individual would be to ask them the question whether or not they fully understand the historic value and relative scarcity of much of what is placed on celluloid and whether they know the difference between an object that is truly only of scrap value versus one which still has plenty of potential useful and serviceable life left in it for the purposes intended?

A friend of mine hits the local flea markets on the weekends. He will post photos of projectors modified like this with the caption: Murder! I agree with that opinion, as I would rather see cameras / projectors preserved or at least used for parts to keep other machines running.